The International University Hospital Mohammed VI in Rabat has started using a new cancer treatment machine called the uRT LINAC 506C. It combines a CT scanner, a radiation machine and artificial intelligence in one system.
The hospital says it is the first centre outside China to use this latest version. The machine allows doctors to adjust radiotherapy treatment in real time using built-in imaging and AI.
Fadila Kouhen, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Mohammed VI in Rabat, said the new equipment places the hospital among leading international centres for precise cancer treatment.
The machine takes a clear scan just before each treatment session. This helps doctors see the tumour at that exact moment. In the past, small body movements such as breathing or digestion could shift the tumour slightly. Now, doctors can aim the radiation more accurately and better protect healthy tissue.
This is especially important for cancers in sensitive or moving parts of the body, such as the brain, lungs and prostate. For lung or liver cancer, where the tumour moves as the patient breathes, the machine follows the movement in real time. This allows doctors to give a stronger dose to the tumour while limiting damage to healthy organs.
The AI system can quickly recalculate the treatment plan. If the tumour has shrunk or moved since the previous session, the machine adjusts the radiation beams within minutes. Hospital officials say this can reduce side effects and shorten treatment times, allowing more patients to be treated.
The machine can also deliver very high doses of radiation to very small targets, such as small tumours in the brain, without surgery.
The hospital says the new technology strengthens Morocco’s position in medical innovation in Africa. It also creates new opportunities for research at Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, where doctors and researchers can study detailed treatment data to improve cancer care.
